Merchandizing display suspension and bag assembly



United States Patent [72] Inventor Robert L. Hart Manhasset I-Iills, [21] Appl. No. 785,256 [22] Filed Dec. 19, 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 29, 1970 [73] Assignee W. R. Grace & Co.

a corporation of Connecticut [54] MERCHANDIZING DISPLAY SUSPENSION AND BAG ASSEMBLY 12 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 229/54, 150/12 [51 Int. Cl 865d 33/06 [50] Field ol'Search 229/54, 65; 150/3, 4, 5, 6,12

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 225.652 3/1880 Simonds 24/2556 440,019 11/1890 Dodge 24/2550 3.348.761 lO/l967 Vetter ABSTRACT: A suspension member having upper and lower horizontal reaches includes a suspension element joined to the midsection of the upper reach. The ends of the lower reach are upturned and are connected to the opposite ends of the upper reach when the hanger and a display merchandising bag are assembled. One set of ends of the reaches is hingedly joined while a fastening pin releasably secures the other set of ends to interconnect the hanger and bag. An upturned releasably secured end of the lower reach is inserted into a first of two spaced openings positioned along an edge of the bag. Said end is then threaded inside the bag and out through the second opening. The upturned end thereupon is secured to the mating end of the upper reach and the bag is ready to be hung by the suspension element for display purposes. The suspension member can be readily disengaged from the bag by reversing the aforesaid steps.

PATENTEDnmesmm 3 3550.838

INVENTOR ROBERT L. HART BY I M m /FAM ATTORNEYS MERCHANDIZING DISPLAY SUSPENSION AND BAG ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention A merchandising display bag detachably secured to a suspension member. l

2. Description of the Prior Art 1 Manufacturing enterprises which produce consumer articles, especially, although not exclusively, in soft goods lines, have found it desirable to prepackage their products in clear limp plastic bags. It has been customary to slr ip the products to wholesale and retail outlets in such prepackaged bags. Retailers, however, have found that it is effective to display these prepackaged goods in a hanging position from supports in lieu of merely stacking the bagged goodson counters. The suspended bags present a neater appearance, easily enabling the customer to view the contents therein'without disarranging the order or size distribution on the supports; whereas, if

customers must shuffle through rows of stacked bags, the display is quickly disordered.

It has been previously known to suspend these bags by some type of hook construction; however, the previously known bag hangers are deficient in many aspects.

Initially, it has been found that it was uneconomical to ship the goods in prepackaged bags from which hangers protruded, because the hooks damaged adjacent bags and were difficult to pack. Additionally, the hangers occupied shipping space,

resulting in increased shipping costs. Manufacturers were also reluctant to supply hangers with each display bag containing merchandise. It was a far more economical practice to allow the retailers to use their own hangers and remove the same for insertion into another bag when a sale was made. This gave the retailer the option of either hanging the' bag or stacking them. Thus, the appearance of an unsightly hook projecting from each bag on a counter full of stacked bags would be avoided.

In using the bag hangers known heretofore, the bag was provided with a perforation or opening in the bottom edge thereof with the top being closed by a flap having sometype of fastening means. The hanger essentially consisted of a straight reach with a hook centrally located and projecting therefrom. The

retailer opened the flap, removed the merchandise from the bag, thrust the hook of the hanger through the perforation in the bottom of the bag until the reach abutted the bottom edge of the bag, reinserted the merchandise and reclosed the bag which then was ready to be suspended.

When a sale was made, the hanger was removed, necessitating opening of the flap, removal of the merchandise and withdrawal of the hanger by the clerk or cashier.

It was often distasteful to a customer to see the clerk or cashier handle the goods, especially when the goods contained in the bags were undergarments. It also was wasteful of time and space.

Thus, although the use of detachable bag hangers has been known heretofore, there has not been a widespread acceptance of hangers to suspend prepackaged wearing apparel bags with removable suspension members.

SUMMARY or THE IN ENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a removable bag hanger which is so constructed that it is not subject to any of the above disadvantages.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a removable bag hanger of the character described which is simple and rugged'in construction, yet can be fabricated by mass production methods at an appreciably lower cost than previous devices designed to serve the same function.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an attractive removable bag hanger for suspending prepackaged articles of clothing or the like wherein the hanger may be detachably engaged to support the bag and its contents without opening or disturbing the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a suspendable bag and disengagable hanger assembly wherein a bag containing prepackaged articles of clothing or the like may be readily and easily detachably engaged by and suspended from a display support.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attractive removable bag hanger wherein a display bag suitable for articles of clothing may be suspended by engagement of an edge portion thereof with the lower reach of the hanger between spaced upturned ends of said reach.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a display bag and removable hanger assembly wherein the display bag is suspended by detachable engagement of a hanger reach between two spaced openings on an edge of the bag with the upturned ends of the reach protruding through the spaced openings and providing a means for preventing accidental disengagement of the hanger from the bag.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bag hanger for suspending prepackaged goods wherein an end of the lower reach of the hanger is introduced into a display bag containing the goods through one of two' spaced openings in the bag, with said end of the lower reach thereafter protruding out of the other of said openings and being releasably secured to the remainder of the hanger structure.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly constitutes the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the merchandising display and suspension bag assemblies hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various possible embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the new hanger being inserted into a display bag for engagement with the top edge of the bag;

FIG. 2 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the invention showing the hanger emplaced soas tosuspend the bag from the bottom edge thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of the hanger illustrating the free end of the lowerreach disconnected from mating free end of the upper reach, and further showing the details of the fastening pin and socket arrangement; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentarycross-sectional views taken substantially along the lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Pursuant to the present invention a display bag and hanger for retail merchandise purposes are constructed in such a manner that the hanger may be engaged with a clear limp plastic bag containing articles of merchandise without opening the bag. The hanger may easily be disengaged from the bag at the time a sale is made without the necessity of opening the associated bag.

Two straight reaches which are unitarilly integrally articulatedly joined at one end form the hanger body. The upper of the two reaches has a suspension element such as a hook secured at its midsection. The lower reach includes an upturned free tip which is inserted through one of two spaced openings formed in an edge of the bag that joins two opposed walls thereof. This upturned free tip after being threaded through the inside of the bag along said edge projects out from the second of the two openings and is releasably secured to the mating free end of the upper reach; When these ends are secured to one another and the bag is suspended from a support by the hook, the reaches lie in parallel planes which are ideally horizontal and between which the aforesaid edge of the bag between the two openings is captive.

The openings in the edge of a bag are so spaced that the lower reach snugly fits therebetween. These openings may be positioned along any edge of the bag which joins two opposed walls thereof; these usa usually will be either the bottom edge or the upper edge.

' Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral denotes a hanger and bag arrangement constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention. Included is a flexible, preferably transparent, limp plastic bag 12 suitable for packaging and displaying articles of clothing. A hanger 14 which is unitarily formed of a synthetic plastic material that is flexible and resilient in thin sections, such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride, suspends the bag.

;,The bag is preferably transparent so that the articles contained therein are visible. It is formed of front 13 and back 15 flexible sheet films. An open mouth is formed between the top edge of the front film and the back film. The back film 15 extends above and by beyond the top edge of the front film 13 to form a cover flap 16 for selectively closing the open mouth. The entire bag may easily be fabricated of a single sheet,

folded once to form a bottom edge 17, and again folded to form a top edge 19. The side edges 20 of the opposite front and back films may be heat sealed to one another.

A snap fastener head 24 is fixed to the flap l6 and a registered snap fastener socket fixed on the front film. The fastener head 24 is disengageably receivable in the socket to detachably secure the flap 16 in closed position. In lieu of mating snap fastener halves, any suitable alternate closure arrangement may be provided, such as a strip of double faced adhesive secured to the outer surface of the front film 13. The flap would then be closed by being pressed against the exposed adhesive face. Another alternate closure is a plastic slide fastener.

In accordance with the present invention, the manufacturer may place the finished articles in the display bag 12 and then close the bag, as by folding over the closure flap 16 and interengaging the snap fastener halves. These packaged goods are eventually shipped to the retail store at which time the hangers 14 are secured to the packages to assist in exhibiting the goods from a display fixture.

vIn order to provide a detachable mounting arrangement between the bag 12 and the hanger 14, spaced openings 26 are formed adjacent an edge of the bag joining the front and rear films or the rear film with the closure flap. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, these openings are formed in the top edge 19, the same being at the upper edge of the flap 16.

In the alternate embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the edge wherein the openings are formed is the bottom edge 17 which as shown in said figures is at the top because the bag is upended.

1 The unitarily molded (one-piece) plastic hanger 14 is provided to suspend the bag from the edge having the openings 26. The hanger 14 is formed of upper 28 and lower 30 coextensive reaches which are joined together by a bight 32 extending in one piece therewith and between one set of adjacent ends of the reaches and spacing them apart. The bight is of thin section, e.g. one-sixteenth of an inch thick, so that, considering the synthetic plastic of which the hanger is made, the bight permits the reaches to be angularly swung with respect to one another with the bight acting as a pivot. In other words, the flexible bight functions as an integral hinge, in effect, a spring hinge. The two reaches in their as-molded relative positions diverge from each other, e.g. about 5, whereby their free, i.e. distal, ends (tips) are spaced apart when these ends are not mutually interengaged.

.A circular cutout portion 40 is formed on the interior surface of the bight 32 to promote the flexing angular movement between the upper and lower reaches about the hinge and to minimize fatigue failures resulting from such flexing.

A hook 34 extends angularly outwardly and upwardly from the center of the upper reach 28. The hook is formed with an arcuate portion ending with a downturned tip 36 to present a conventional hanger hook shape.

To provide strength to the hanger structure, a reinforcing rib 38 is formed on the interior of the hook 34. The rib38 additionally extends along the top edge of the upper reach 28, around the outer periphery of the bight 32 and along the bottom edge of the lower reach 30.

At the distal end of the lower reach 30 remote from the bight 32, an upturned tip 42 is formed. The reinforcing rib 38 extends upwardly along the outer edge of the-upturned tip 42 to the end thereof. i

To engage the hanger within the bag to enable the bag to be suspended, the upturned tip 42 .of the lower reach 30 is inserted through one of the openings 26 in the folded edge 19 as illustrated in FIG. 1 or 17 as illustrated .in FIG. 2. It may be readily observed that this step is conducted while the flap 16 remains closed (or in FIG. 2 through the closed bottom end) so that the contents of the bag do not have to be removed. The 7 lower reach 30 is then thrust through the opening 26 into the interior of the bag until the edge of the opening 26 abuts the edge of the circular cutout 40 at which point the upturned tip 42 is positioned at the second opening 26. The upturned tip 42 is then slid through the second opening 26 and will project outwardly therefrom.

In this position, the top edge of the lower reach 30 will contact the interior surface of the edge 19 (or the edge 17 in FIG. 2) between the two openings 26; It may be additionally seen that the upturned tip 42 and the upturned bight 32 act as stops projecting through the openings 26 to prevent disengagement between the edge and the lower reach.

Means also is included to detachably interengage the distal free tips of the two reaches so as to insure against accidental disengagement between the hanger and the bag. Said means includes a cylindrical pin 44 that projects normally from the distal end of the upper reach 28. The pin is dimensioned to b be lightly frictionally engaged within a socket 46 in the upturned tip 42. To engage the pin 44 in the socket 46, the reaches are swung about the articulated joint until the pin and opening are in alignment, at which point the ends of the reaches are squeezed together. The socket 46 is of a diameter slightly smaller than that of the cylindrical pin 44 so that a tight grip between the upper and lower reaches results. AI- ternately the head of the pin may be slightly enlarged where it projects through the outer end of the socket, or the pin may be shaped as a hook to detachably catch on the socket.

Along the top edge of the lower reach 30, a widened rib 48 is formed. The rib 48 extends from the circular cutout 40 to the upturned tip 42 and acts as a flat bearing surface against which the inner folded edge of the bag engages the hanger 14. This widened rib has rounded edges to prevent accidental cutting or tearing of the inner edge of the bag by the lower reach. The ribs 38, 48 provide an I-shaped cross section for the lower reach which strengthens it against longitudinal flexure.

In lieu of the spaced openings 26 for engagement of the bag with the hanger, the edge of the bag may be perforated at two points spaced from each other so that the upturned tip will easily penetrate the perforations as the lower reach is inserted in the bag.

Once the hanger is attached to the bag, the hanger is hung by the hook on a display rack until removed therefrom'by a purchaser or sales person. At the time the sale is made, the cashier or wrapping clerk detaches the hanger fromthe bag by disengaging the pin from the socket to separate the-distal ends of the reaches. This may be accomplished by grasping the upper reach adjacent its free end with one hand, the lower reach resting across the index finger of the opposite hand, with the thumb of the opposite hand pressing the portion of the lower reach directly below the upturned tip against the index finger finger. The pin is then easily disengaged from the openmg.

Additionally illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 is an article of clothing, i.e. a scarf 50, gathered together and positioned above the lower reach 30 between the widened rib and the bottom edge 17 of the bag. In this position, the scarf 50 is tionally suspending the bag from its bottom edge.

During the engagement of the hanger and the bag, and prior to the sliding of the upturned tip 42 through the second opening, the scarf is draped over the widened rib 48 and suspended therefrom. With this arrangement the bag hanger, suspended from a hanger rack, may be opened by a prospective customer by disengaging the fastener head 24 from its socket and opening the flap 16. The fabric of the scarf may then be examined thoroughly by the prospective customers without disturbing the bag or removing it from the hanger rack.

In accordance with the present invention the manufacturer of consumer goods will prepackage the individual articles in the merchandizing bags constructed in accordance with one of the embodiments of this invention. He will thus be relieved of the expense of supplying individual hangers with each bag. Either the wholesaler or the retailer will, at their own option, insert the hangers between the spaced openings of the bags. Naturally, if the retailer does not desire to suspend the bags from a hanger rack but to merely a stack them on a counter top, he will not insert the hangers. If he desires to suspend the display bags from a hanger rack or any support rod, the hanger is utilized. Hence, a single bag may be used for either stacking or suspending merchandise.

It thus will be seen that there is provided a merchandizing display hanger and hanger/bag assemblies which achieve the several objects of the invention and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be am made in the embodiments set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lclaim: I l. A suspension and display package including:

A. a bag for displaying articles, said bag comprising:

I. opposed coextensive front and back limp flexible films,

II. means mutually joining the registered bottom and side edges of said films and leaving an open mouth,

III. means selectively closing said mouth to permit the insertion and removal of articles from and to said bag, through said mouth when the same is open, I

IV. means providing openings adjacentan edge of the bag and spacedapart parallel to said edge;

B. a suspension means, said suspension means comprising:

I. an upper reach,

II. a lower reach,

a. said reaches being coextensive,

.III. a suspension element projecting centrally from said upper reach,

IV. means articulatedly joining one set of adjacent ends of said upper and said lower reaches,

V. means releasably securing the opposite ends of said reaches to one another,

Vl. an upturned tip at the opposite end of said lower reach,

VII. said lower reach being located .within the interior of said bag between said spaced openings,

VIII. the tip of said opposite end of-said lower reach projecting through one of said openings,

IX. said joined end of said lower reach projecting through the other of said openingsfand C. whereby said lower reach may be selectively removed from the interior of said bag between said spaced openings without opening the mouth of said bag or disturbing the articles within said bag by disengaging the opposite ends of said reach and withdrawing said upturned tip through said one of said openings and into said bag and subsequently through the other of said openings and out of said bag.

2. A suspension and display package constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means selectively closing said mouth includes I I. a closure flap, II. means integrally forming said closure flap with one of said films,

III. said closure flap projecting beyond the top edge of the LV. means hinging said flap to said back film for selective movement to a position overlying the top edge of the 5 opposed front film,

V. means releasably securing said position,

VI. said means hinging said flap providing a folded-edge of said bag,

VII. the means providing openings being located adjacent said folded edge.

3. A suspension and display package constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means releasablysecuring said opposite ends of the reaches to one another includes:

1 I. means forming a socket within one of the opposite ends of one of said reaches,

II. a mating pin projecting laterally from the opposite end of the other of said reaches, and

Ill. whereby the opposite ends of said reaches may be selectively releasably joined by interengagement of said pin and said socket.

4. A suspension and display package constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

I. said suspension means is of one-piece construction,

flap insaid overlying 25 II. said means articulately joining said one of said adjacent ends of said reaches includes an articulated hinge, a. said hinge being unitarily formed with said suspension means, and

III. whereby said hinge permits the opposite end of said lower reach to move in both a lateral and vertical position with respect to said opposite end of said upper reach.

3 5. A suspension and display package constructed in accordance with claim 4 wherein:

I. said hinge includes means biasing the opposite end of said lower reach below the opposite end of said upper reach when the opposite ends of said reaches are not in mutual interengagement.

6. A suspension and display package constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

I. said suspension means is of one-piece construction,

II. a flat peripheral rib projecting laterally from said lower reach,

a. said rib.being formed at the upper edge of said lower reach,

b. said rib engaging the interior of said bag between said spaced openings, and

c. means providing a smooth surface on said rib for supporting said bag and preventing the accidental tearing of said bag.

7. A suspension and display package constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

I. the means providing openings is located adjacent the mutually joined registered bottom edges of the films.

8. A suspension and display bag constructed in accordance with claim 7 wherein:

I. an article of merchandise is provided,

a. said article of merchandise being draped over said lower reach, and

1]. whereby the texture of said article of merchandise may be accessible for examination through the mouth of the bag without disengaging the interengaged bag and suspension means. 7

9. A suspension member for supporting a display bag by suspending the bag from a support, said suspension member comprising: an upper reach, a lower reach, said upper and lower reaches being coextensive, a suspension element pro- 70 jecting centrally from said upper reach, means joining a pair of adjacent ends of said upper and said lower reaches, said means including an articulate hinge, said suspension member being formed of one-piece construction, an upturned tip at the opposite end of said lower reach, means releasably securing said upturned tip and said opposite end of said upper reach to one another, whereby said lower reach may be inserted into the bag through a first opening in the bag with said articulate hinge projecting through the first opening and the upturned tip of said lower reach projecting through a second opening in the bag with said upturned tip subsequently secured to the opposite end of said upper reach to support the bag in an elevated position.

10. A suspension member as constructed in accordance with claim 9 wherein the means releasably securing said opposite ends of the reaches to one another includes means forming a socket within the opposite end of one of said reaches and a mating pin registerable with said socket and projecting laterally from the opposite end of the other of said reaches, whereby the opposite ends of said reaches may be selectively releasably joined by interengagement of said pin and said socket.

11. A suspension member as constructed in accordance with claim 9 wherein the hinge includes means biasing the opposite end of the lower reach below the opposite end of the upper reach when the opposite ends of said reaches are not in secured engagement.

12. A suspension member for supporting a display bag by suspending the bag from a support. said suspension member comprising: an upper reach; a lower reach, said upper. and lower reaches being coextensive, a suspension element projecting centrally from said upper reach; means joining a pair of adjacent ends of said upper and said lower reaches, said means including an articulate hinge, said suspension member being formed of one-piece construction; an up turned tip at the opposite end of said lower reach; means releasably securing said upturned tip and said opposite end of said upper reach to one another whereby said lower reach may be inserted into the bag through a first opening and the bag with said articulate hinge projecting through a first opening and the upturned tip of said lower reach projecting through a second opening in the bag with said upturned tip releasably secured to the opposite end of said upper reach to support the bag in an elevated position; a broad rib projecting laterally from the lower reach, said rib being formed at the upper edge of said lower reach; and, means providing a smooth surface on said rib for supporting and preventing the accidental tearing of the bag 

